Records: Kennesaw State (6-7), Middle Tennessee (9-5)
Score: Kennesaw State 3, Middle Tennessee 9
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Nate Hoffman vs. LHP Chris Erwin
Key Players: Jeremy Howell (3-for-5); Austin Upshaw (3-for-5); David Chabut (1-for-2, RBI); Chris Erwin (6.0 IP, 6K)
 
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Despite a strong effort on the mound from junior Chris Erwin, the Kennesaw State baseball team dropped a non-conference showdown to the visiting Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee, 9-3, Friday (March 11) evening at Stillwell Stadium in front of 407 fans.
 
Starting pitching was the story for most the day as Kennesaw State's Erwin, who entered the day with a 1-1 record and a 9.88 ERA, tossed 6.0 impressive innings. Erwin, a Grayson, Georgia native, allowed six hits and one run while striking out a season-high six Blue Raiders throughout his outing.
 
Erwin allowed the first run of the ballgame in the top half of the first inning, but settle into his work day and tossed five consecutive scoreless frames to keep the Owls within a run. Erwin faced 26 batters and threw 106 pitches, which 64 percent of his pitches found the strike zone.
 
On the side of the mound, Middle Tennessee's Nate Hoffmann answered Erwin's outing by tossing 6.0 innings on the bump. Hoffmann allowed five hits and one run, while striking out three Owls and issued only one walk in the game.
 
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom half of the seventh inning, the Owls' offense broke through to tie the ballgame at 1-1. Brennan Morgan, a senior from Peachtree City, Georgia, led off the frame with a double to left center field and eventually brought home thanks to a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single off the bat of freshman David Chabut.
 
However, the Blue Raiders responded with a crooked five runs on four hits in the top of the eighth inning and three more runs in the top of the ninth, before senior Alex Liquori's two-run RBI double in the bottom half closed out the scoring.
 
For the game, the Owls managed 10 hits as Jeremy Howell paced the offense going 3-for-4 at the plate. Sophomore Austin Upshaw chipped in, going 3-for-5 at the dish while Chabut (RBI) and Liquori (two RBI) recorded the only runs batted in on the night.
 
Up Next
Non-conference action continues at Stillwell Stadium Saturday (March 12) afternoon, taking on the Blue Raiders in game two of the weekend series. The game will be broadcasted on A-SUN TV with Nathan McCreary on the call for the Owls. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET
 
Notes
- The Owls and Blue Raiders entered the night having played only six times in programs' history.
- This series marks the third weekend series between the two clubs.
- This is the first meeting, and weekend series, since Feb. 15-16, when the Blue Raiders came to Kennesaw, Ga. and the Owls took 2-of-3.
- Jeremy Howell recorded his third game having three hits in a game, and the third time in a four-game span.
- Austin Upshaw totaled his fourth multi-hit game of the season, and has recorded a hit in 10 of his 12 games he's played in.
- David Chabut tallied his fifth RBI of the season, and has an RBI over his last three games.
- Jordan Versteeg made his first appearance out of the bullpen this season in the ninth inning.
-  The Owls reached 10 or more hits in a single game for the ninth time this season.
 
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